#31431 - Tue Oct 17 2000 05:10 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Enthusiast
Registered: Thu Jul 27 2000
Posts: 280
Loc: New Hampshire USA
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Aawww, I don't want to sound like a spoil-sport, but I'm hard-pressed to think of any good book I've read that has been translated well into a movie. I kind of make it a policy never to see movies that have evolved from books, especially after seeing "Clan of the Cave Bear", which was a magnificent book and a really sucky movie. I guess I prefer to keep the whole book experience in my head, whatever has resulted from the author's descriptions combined with my own imagery. If anyone can give me examples of movies that have at least been equally as good as the book, I'd be willing to reconsider...
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#31432 - Tue Oct 17 2000 05:18 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Forum Adept
Registered: Tue Sep 26 2000
Posts: 159
Loc: Just this side of heaven
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"Gone With The Wind" and "Compromising Positions" both translated well to the screen.
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#31433 - Tue Oct 17 2000 07:49 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Mainstay
Registered: Wed Apr 19 2000
Posts: 716
Loc: Just to the left of normal
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Thomas Harris who wrote Silence of the Lambs wrote a book before that one called Red Dragon. Michael Mann, who is one of my favorite directors, made a movie out of it. It was called Manhunter and starred William Peterson. For the last several years I've been hoping someone would make a whole brand new movie from the book and follow the book better than they did the first time and cast different actors in the roles. For some reason Mann and his people made Manhunter look and feel like an episode of Miami Vice. They totally ruined it. Some talented people should get together and re-do it. It is the first time Hannibal Lector is introduced (in Silence he's already in prison) but the villian is awesome and the book is sooooo creepy....they totally missed that in Manhunter. Make RED DRAGON and make it RIGHT!! I heard somewhere that someone is making Stephen King's Desperation into a movie. I can only HOPE that they do it justice. The only director who does King right is Frank Darabont. He did Shawshank and Green Mile. Rob Reiner did well with Misery too. I'll have to check the IMDB and see if it's Darabont that's doing Desperation...if it's him it will be a great movie. Amy Tan who wrote The Joy Luck Club also wrote a couple of other books, one of them is called The Kitchen God's Wife...it would make a terrific movie. Years ago I read a book for teenagers called The Grounding of Group Six. It was about a prep school for rich kids and the opening weekend of the year they seperated the kids into six groups and took them out on these camping trips. What no one realized (except the staff) was that the parents of the kids who were assigned to group six were paying the school to dispose of their children. Group six went out into the wilderness and they never came back. The book told the story of a group that figured out what was going to happen to them and they fought back. That would make a great teeny-bopper movie. I'd go see it! I'm sure there are others, but I can't type anymore.  [This message has been edited by hungree (edited 10-17-2000).]
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#31434 - Tue Oct 17 2000 09:12 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Enthusiast
Registered: Sun Jan 02 2000
Posts: 390
Loc: Christchurch,New Zealand
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Being a big Tom Clancey fan, id have to say either Red Storm Rising or Rainbow Six.Both really good books, and would be really good movies.
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#31435 - Wed Oct 18 2000 01:02 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Prolific
Registered: Tue May 09 2000
Posts: 1740
Loc: St. Paul
Minnesota USA
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I thought that John Brown deserved a bio-pic before I read the book, so this may be cheating: "Cloudsplitter" by Russell Banks. I've also decided that any good biography of George Orwell deserves a movie treatment; the guy had an incredible life--cop in India, tramp in London and Paris; freedom fighter in Spain, and finally author of the one book that is damn close to predicting what we are becoming: 1984. We were just a little slow, it all. And Hell, LA Confidential kicked ass, how about a couple more of Ellroy's novels making it to film. I think White Jazz is coming out relatively soon, with Nick Nolte and John Cusack. That leaves "Black Dahlia" and "The Big Nowhere". Also, Peter Straub's work would make excellent suspense/horror films: "KoKo" especially. ------------------
Coming or going, we must view the next century with an eye toward the possible continuence of our species on this planet and I'd rather be coming. --John Muir, 1973
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#31436 - Thu Dec 28 2000 07:22 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Mainstay
Registered: Tue Dec 19 2000
Posts: 834
Loc: Sydney
NSW Australia
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 i have always wanted to see what they could do with 'roget's thesaurus of antonyms and synonyms'. its been a favourite of mine for a while.
i have no suggestions for the casting director, however. ------------------
"i tell you:
one must have chaos in oneself, to give birth to a dancing star." -nietzsche
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#31437 - Thu Dec 28 2000 04:28 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Participant
Registered: Thu Sep 21 2000
Posts: 28
Loc: I'm BoyScout2
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quote:
i have always wanted to see what they could do with 'roget's thesaurus of antonyms and synonyms'.
LOL!!! What about Webster's Dictionary? Hehe . . . The Westing Game would make a perfect movie.
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#31438 - Thu Feb 01 2001 08:06 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Participant
Registered: Wed Jan 31 2001
Posts: 8
Loc: Rochester, NY
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"Timeline" by Michael Chrichton would make a good movie. A nice combination of medieval and sci-fi. Maybe Sean Connery as the professor? ------------------
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#31439 - Fri Feb 02 2001 12:28 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Mainstay
Registered: Tue Jan 18 2000
Posts: 759
Loc: Mini Soda
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There is a series of SF books called the "Time Scout" series, by Robert Aspirin and Linda Evans, that would be interesting on screen. I would have reservations about telling a complex story in such a short time, but if done right it'd be cool. The stories are plotty and adventurous!
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#31440 - Fri Mar 09 2001 12:05 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Forum Champion
Registered: Thu Feb 08 2001
Posts: 5985
Loc: Ottawa
Ontario Canada
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Awhile ago I would have said "watchers" by Dean Koontz, but then I found out that they HAD made it into a movie... but it sucked because they changed the entire storyline so they could cast some boy-wonder as Travis Cornell (who was SUPPOSED to be in his 30s!!) So I think they should re-do it and get it right. Right now my favourite book series is "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon, which would be EXCELLENT on film!! ... as long as they don't change a thing!! (It would probably have to be an 8 hour movie though)
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#31441 - Wed Apr 11 2001 12:24 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Participant
Registered: Tue Apr 10 2001
Posts: 46
Loc: Over the hills and far away
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quote:
Originally posted by mycroft:
"Timeline" by Michael Chrichton would make a good movie. A nice combination of medieval and sci-fi. Maybe Sean Connery as the professor?
mycroft, According to Crichton, "Timeline" IS being made into a movie. I cannot wait. Great book and, yes, Sean Connery would be great.
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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.
-Italian Proverb
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#31442 - Wed Apr 11 2001 03:34 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Multiloquent
Registered: Wed Aug 30 2000
Posts: 2179
Loc: Louisville
Kentucky USA
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I'd love to see Steven King's 'The Long Walk' novella done on the silver screen. Just hope that ol Steve has NOTHING to do with the screenplay... no offense Steve, but the movies you had a hand in were awful... (Lawnmower Man and Maximum Overdrive as prime examples). Let Rob Reiner make the movie... Valerie
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#31443 - Wed Apr 18 2001 11:14 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Anonymous
No longer registered
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I think that Daniells Steel's "Five Days in Paris" would make a good chick flick.
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#31444 - Wed May 16 2001 06:42 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Mainstay
Registered: Sat May 12 2001
Posts: 575
Loc: Nova Scotia Canada
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"Gone With The Wind" is one of the best examples when the movie was as good as the book. David O. Selznick was so obsessed with the making of the movie, virtually all of the dialoge is word for word from the book. My choice for a book to be made into a movie. If they could do it right "Savages" by Shirley Conran. Anyone who hasn't read it should, especially women. The guys will like it as well, lots of blood and guts. Also has a scene which is most guys biggest dream to see or watch about sex! Anyway, it's been on my top ten list for years. I agree about "Watchers." It is one of the best examples of when the translation of a book into a movie couldn't have been worse. I hope Dean Koontz was paid well! 
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#31445 - Sun Dec 02 2001 11:04 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Mainstay
Registered: Sun Dec 02 2001
Posts: 581
Loc: North Carolina USA
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I just read a mystery novel called Silent to the Bone, by E.L. Konigsburg, about a boy who is struck silent after he is accused of hurting his baby sister. It would make a great movie.
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#31446 - Sun Dec 02 2001 11:41 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Participant
Registered: Sun Dec 02 2001
Posts: 6
Loc: Florida
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"The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks would be a really good movie.
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#31447 - Mon Dec 03 2001 12:15 AM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Prolific
Registered: Sat Nov 17 2001
Posts: 1068
Loc: Birmingham Alabama USA
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Back to Sci-Fi for a moment I think Timewatch by Orson Scott Card would make a good film. Also by OSC Enders Game or Enders Shadow would be a great film(s).
I'd also like to see Harry Turtledove's Guns of the South brought to the screen.
I’ve also heard that Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged will be made into a mini-series.
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#31448 - Sun Dec 02 2001 02:31 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Multiloquent
Registered: Sat Dec 25 1999
Posts: 2824
Loc: Fairhaven Massachusetts USA
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In the wake of "Harry Potter's" success perhaps a fantasy classic should come to the screen. The one I have in mind is T.H. White's "Mistress Masham's Repose", his sequel of sorts to "Gulliver's Travels". In it an orphan girl discovers transplanted Lilliputians living on an island on the estate where she has come to live. Any directors out there you think could do fantasy right? And how about "In The Heart Of The Sea"? The "Essex" disaster inspired Melville in writing "Moby Dick" tjoeb};>
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#31449 - Sun Dec 02 2001 11:07 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Prolific
Registered: Sat Jan 20 2001
Posts: 1104
Loc: Nashville
Tennessee USA ...
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I could not agree with you more tomije, I would love to see "Cloudsplitter" turned into a biopic. It is an incredible book. One of my all time favorites. I would also like to see a good version of "look Homeward Angel." Actually, I think "Of Time and the River" would make a much better motion picture. However, there would be a lot of plowing through to get just the right script and storyline. But with some fairly talented young actor, it could be a terrific role. I have seen play versions of "Look Homeward Angel" that have been well done. It would be interesting. Casting these movies: For Cludsplitter-I am not sure. This one would be tough. You would have to have someone who could play both a young man and an old man. It would have to be done probably in flashbacks as the book is dne in this manner. Tomije, I'm open for your ideas on this one. For Look Homeward or Of Time and the River: I could see Brad Pitt or maybe even Matt Damon doing Eugene Gant. You would need someone tall and rather boisterous who could play an emotional drunk to play his father. Colin Furth would play an excellent Uncle Bascomb. [ 12-02-2001: Message edited by: malizma ]
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Music is a sense of communication, it is a way to express the best of yourself to others, especially when you don't come across like a Hallmark card.-Lyle Mays
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#31450 - Thu Dec 06 2001 10:20 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Enthusiast
Registered: Wed Dec 05 2001
Posts: 285
Loc: San Francisco California USA
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I'm still waiting for a movie for "The Catcher In The Rye", best book ever
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#31451 - Thu Dec 06 2001 10:24 PM
Re: Which Book Should Be A Movie?
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Prolific
Registered: Tue Oct 02 2001
Posts: 1817
Loc: Brooklyn New York USA
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They should make children poem books, like "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and the one with the word "Attic" in the title, into a Toy Story type of movie. It would be cool to see the poems come to life.
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